Inevitable To Possible

• Ishan Chowdhury, Grade 6, Quakers Hill Public School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

The ten shadowed figures watched the eerie creeping mass of ominous black rise around the subtle outlines of the stone walls which belonged to a city. Grimy and lustreless armoury and weaponry lay on top of the blood sodden grass of the fields outside the looming walls of the city. Dead lifeless bodies posed helplessly on the ground, awaiting a burial that would never come. Signs of a battle lingered amongst the land. There was no feeling of alacrity or cheerfulness. This was a time of war: a serious war.
As the bloodshot red ball of spitting flame rose over the distant horizon, a group of ten people traipsed reluctantly towards the figures of the deceased men that lay across the ground. Each of the members in the association wore mottled grey and green cloaks where the colours mixed together; and it also had a matching hood to cover the identification of their appearance. These cloaks were cleverly designed to camouflage amongst the vegetation of the forests and hills in the North.
It was an execrable sight but one of the audacious men from the group stepped up and checked for the pulse of a man that was from their ruthless enemy. This was a great risk, but nonetheless he advanced. The other nine figures were startled as the lacerated man abruptly sat upright when the soft delicate hands fingered upon the ones of his own.
The hilt of his sword weighed against his right hand but with agonising grunts of endeavouring pain and arduous effort, he lashed at the audacious man. Howls of excruciating pain pierced the atmosphere just as the vexatious and exasperated gasps were released from the remaining nine. They were a choleric group of people and got annoyed easily. One of the cloaked me who was considered as the leader of the group nudged another person forward to confront the slaying soldier. Not willing to advance he hesitated; but in silent acquiescence accepted the non-verbal command.
The showdown between the two was very lethal and even though the soldier was fatigued and had a disadvantage because of the uncanny, mysterious and unknown skill of these people and also because they had a larger quantity of people. Even though the soldier was the only person on his side, a line a determination was set across his scuzzy face.
Both figures unsheathed their swords of alloy and clanged them against the sheer force of each other’s. With a deafening blow, the cloaked man was down beside the audacious man who was now lifeless. Cloaked man after cloaked man, the grizzled soldier executed each until he was up to the last and final one. Casting a fleeting glance towards the slain cloaked men gave motivation for the soldier to keep going. With a final heave of the sword, the soldier penetrated through the defensive parry from the cloaked man and buried the sword into his waist. He had survived the inevitable: something thought to be impossible.